Oh my, Republicans. In the latest episode of “As the Party Burns”, Congressional Republicans say they have enough votes to oust Wyoming’s Liz Cheney from her leadership position. At the same time, New York’s Elise Stefanik is campaigning hard for the job, with the backing of President Donald Trump and Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise. Is she the right woman for the job? Meh.

Liz Cheney is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and was elected to the House of Representatives in the same 2016 election that saw the election of Trump. Being the scion of a powerful D.C. player, she moved to the front of the line and is Chair of the House Republican Conference and third in the leadership. She voted to impeach Trump and that is an unforgivable sin. The House let her stay in leadership after that, but Wyoming voters and rank and file Republicans are not in love with her. Liz can’t keep her yap shut and once again her position is in jeopardy. Our Kim wrote about Liz’s yap and you can read her take here. Say what you will about Nancy Pelosi, but her members toe the line.

Elise Stefanik has been campaigning hard for the job. T’is true, Miss Stefanik has been a vocal supporter of President Trump. She is not a drama queen like Cheney, another point in her favor. The question will be whether she is a solid Republican Conservative or at least a Republican Populist?

Stefanik is in her late-thirties and has been in the House since 2015. During the Ukraine Call Impeachment Hearings, she was my hero. She castrated Lt. Colonel Vindman, remember?

Stand ovation! Brava!

What is at question is the voting record of Elise Stefanik. From Hot Air:

The Lugar Center at Georgetown publishes a “bipartisanship index” ranking all 435 House members in terms of how often they collaborate with the other side on legislation. In the last Congress, Stefanik ranked 13th — not among Republicans, among the entire House. She was the eighth most bipartisan House member within the GOP. Liz Cheney ranked … 421st. She was less bipartisan in her voting than Rashida Tlaib or MAGA favorite Andy Biggs.

And:

The vice chairman of the House Republican Conference has reportedly been complaining privately about what he calls the “coronation” of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to replace Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as the GOP conference leader.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) has questioned Stefanik’s conservative credentials to his Republican colleagues and grumbled about the ease at which she has been boosted for the position, according to a report from Punchbowl News on Friday.

Johnson has reportedly been receiving calls from colleagues about Stefanik as the drama surrounding Cheney has unfolded.

Drama from Republicans? Of course.

The Washington Examiner posted:

…there’s pushback from some on the Right, who say that Stefanik’s voting record has not been conservative enough and at times has bucked Trump on key issues, including whether to certify all of the 2020 presidential election results and ending Trump’s border wall emergency declaration.

She ended Trump’s border wall emergency declaration! Elise Stefanik has not traveled to the Southern Border for good reason then. What takes crust is criticizing Joe Biden and she has:

Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Congressman John Katko (R-NY-24), sent a joint letter to President Biden on the dangerous ramifications that his crisis at the US-Mexico border has caused at the US-Canada border.

In part, the letter reads, “The lack of effective response to the crisis on our Southern Border is threatening the operational readiness along our Northern Border. A threat that puts our communities and nation at risk. Our Northern Border Patrol Agents continue to remain understaffed and overworked and for the safety of our communities, we ask that you provide answers to these questions. We implore you to reconsider your reluctance to invest in our Southern Border security and for the safety of all Americans, revise your immigration policies that have been failing thus far.”

Yes, she did. But wait, there’s more:

…Stefanik voted against the 2017 tax cuts that are now the signature achievement of the GOP and the Trump administration.

Stefanik was among those who opposed a provision in the tax cut legislation that put a cap on state and local tax deductions, which hurt residents in high-tax blue states such as New York.

Stefanik also voted against measures aimed at keeping the United States out of the Paris climate agreement and was among the lawmakers to vote to override Trump’s policy banning transgender people from the military.

I am not going to demand any purity tests. We can reasonably disagree. Can Elise Stefanik at least explain these positions before her coronation?

To our Republican leadership, before Stefanik’s coronation, can you assure us that she is best for the job? She may not be an awful Liz Cheney, but is she the best we have?

Let’s not burn the party down getting rid of Cheney.

Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons.org/cropped/Public Domain